The question in Mal. 3:14 was a question growing out of honest doubt. As they looked around at the fortunes of arrogant non-believers, the faithful saw neither gain, profit, nor increase from serving God. They had lived faithfully by his laws and commandments.

Rather than living a life of celebration, they walked around like mourners. The root of the word mourn refers to the color black. This color suggests a life of repentance and deference to God. While others parties, they prayed. While others lived for riches, they lived for repentance. While others sought personal gain, they sought the favor of God.

In their discouragement, they coined three “backwards beatitudes:”

The discouraged faithful concluded that blessings actually fell on the arrogant non-believers.

God comforted the faithful people with the promise that they would be spared and he assured them that they would again see the distinction between the wicked and righteous. You may wonder if you will live to see a distinction between the wicked and the righteous. Like the people in Malachi’s day, we want God’s people to live behind some kind of protective shield. They should be the healthiest, wealthiest, and wisest among us. Then we would know that God has blessed them, while the Devil’s crowd lives in disease, poverty, and despair.

We must remember the life of Christ. He had no permanent home and no steady income. He gave us a standard for God’s blessings in the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12).

What is the distinction between the wicked and righteous? The righteous serve God out of love. Their service points to God. We will find life’s greatest joy and fulfillment in serving our Heavenly Father!